Video games and anime seem to be the perfect pairing. Since the third generation of consoles, which included the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Master System, many, many games have been created base on existing anime franchises. While they can be seen as a way to make a quick buck, many are great games that hold merit.
Anime was at one point very niche, however, in more recent years, anime has become more popular than ever and in turn, there have been many more games based on anime to enjoy. Here are 10 of the best games based on anime of all time.
10 Ghost in the Shell
Like most games on this list, Ghost in the Shell started as a manga. It was then translated into an anime, a full-length anime movie with its sequel, and a live-action movie with Scarlett Johansson.
Ghost in the Shell for the Playstation 1 was a fast-paced shooter in which you pilot a spider-shaped robot called Fuchikoma that can dash around stages, climb on buildings, fire missiles, and more. The game has full motion anime cutscenes to help tell the game’s story. While there were later games that utilized the Ghost in the Shell license, none of them had you control the Fuchikoma.
9 Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Tatsunoko is a Japanese anime company that has created many different animes that date all the way back to the 1960s. Capcom took the characters, which are mostly obscure in the west, and created one of their amazing cross over games.
Similar to Capcom’s early Marvel vs. Capcom games, in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, you control 2 different characters in chaotic over the top action. From the Capcom side, there is Frank West from Dead Rising, Ryu and Chun Li from Street Fighter, and more. From the Tatsunoko side, there is Tekkaman from the Tekkaman: The Space Knight series, Casshan from the Casshern, and more.
8 Jump Ultimate Stars
The Jump series of games is based on the long-running Shōnen Jump magazine which provides a single chapter from a variety of different mangas and is the way many massive anime properties started.
In Jump Ultimate Stars, you can play as one of the many characters from Shōnen Jump’s long history. There is Goku from Dragon Ball, Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh!, Naruto from Naruto, Light from Death Note, and so much more. The game plays very similarly to the Super Smash Bros. series while also including a long story based around all of the characters.
7 Attack on Titan 2
The Attack on Titan manga, anime, and live-action movie center around a society that has built walls, hundreds of feet tall to keep out human eating Titans. To combat these oversized humans, they use omnidirectional mobility gear to swing around as to better position themselves to cut the back of Titans' necks.
Attack on Titan 2 does a great job of bringing the show’s high stakes combat and intense action to life. The game covers the events that happen within the first 2 seasons of the anime with DLC called the Final Battle which covers the third season as well.
6 Go Go Ackman 3
There were three Go! Go! Ackman games, all of which were exclusive to Japan. Go! Go! Ackman was a series created by Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball who also did the character design for the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon, Tobal, and more.
In Go! Go! Ackman 3 you play as Ackman who must go around collecting souls to sell to the Demon King. You are given a sword and a gun that you must use to make your way through colorful platform levels that all include an excellent use of sprites.
5 U.N. Squadron
U.N. Squadron or Area 88 in Japan is a Super Nintendo shoot em’ up made by Capcom. Area 88 is an anime about a young pilot who is working at Area 88, a mercenary air force based situated in the middle of a worn-torn country.
While U.N. Squadron for the Super Nintendo is a shoot em’ up, it spins the genre in a much different way. Rather than picking up power-ups while going through a set of predetermined levels, in U.N. Squadron, you have an overworld depicting your base and approaching enemies. You pick which level to approach first and a must level up your ship and weapons before the enemies make their way to your base.
4 JoJos Bizarre Adventure
JoJos Bizarre Adventure for the Playstation 1 and the Sega Dreamcast is a 1 on 1 tournament fighter made by Capcom. Like all Capcom fighters that were made at the time, the game is incredibly well built and provides a lot of depth.
JoJos Bizarre Adventure continues to be played in the fighting game scene thanks to its depth and style. The Stand Mode included in the game correlates with the series signature guardian sprites that are prominent throughout the manga. The guardian spirit will come out of your character and change their move set and abilities.
3 Dragon Ball Advance Adventure
Rather than following the Dragon Ball Z series, Dragon Ball Advance Adventure follows the Dragon Ball series which takes place during Goku’s younger years. Throughout the game, you go through a majority of the events depicted in the original series, from the World Martial Arts Tournaments, fighting the Red Ribbon Army, and fighting King Piccolo and his minions. As you progress through the game you find different power-ups that will increase the power of Goku’s Kamehameha as well as expand his move set. While the game is predominantly a beat em’ up, boss stages turn into a 1 on 1 fighter.
2 Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Created by Treasure, the developed behind Gunstar Heroes and Ikaruga, Astro Boy: Omega Factor stars one of the original anime characters, Astro Boy, or the Mighty Atom in Japan. Throughout the game, you are given stat points to upgrade Astro Boy based on the skills you find most useful. You collect different pickups that will help keep your special charged so you can do one of Astro Boy’s powerful attacks including a massive laser that comes out of his arm or two machine guns that come out of his hips and hit everything on the screen. The game plays mostly like a beat em’ up but has some run and gun elements with occasional beat em’ up stages.
1 Dragon Ball FighterZ
Dragon Ball FighterZ is structured very similarly to Capcom’s Marvel vs Capcom series of games. Each team has three characters and they must take out each character on the opposite team to win. While the game is in no way shallow, the move set of each character is rather similar to one another to allow players to more easily control three players in one match. The game is still seeing updates to this date after its 2018 release with new characters and more with the latest character added being Ultra Instinct Goku.